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SPOILT FOR CHOICE IN GOZO

Marion Zammit takes a close look at what is on offer during next weekend's Lejlet Lapsi Notte Gozitana

by Marion Zammit

It starts off with music and wine, with theatre, dance, art,
re-enactments, food, crafts, history and tradition
rumbling in, in pursuit of a cultural experience that is
untried in Gozo. Gozo's Citadel and the heart of the
island's capital will, next weekend, host more than 450
artistes in a true celebration of the arts and our very own
Mediterranean lifestyle.

The curtain rises on this first edition of Lejlet Lapsi Notte

Gozitana with a wine festival by Delicata Wines that Nights of entertainment: Rock and other
includes the participation of several local artistes. Music, local bands will give a grand concert at
food and wine will also be the main ingredients of the Independence Square on
night's main attraction - a concert by legendary Italian Saturday:Frenzy Mono
singer Bobby Solo, best remembered for his everlasting
Una lacrima sul viso, with proceeds from this concert
being forwarded to the Arka Foundation to assist it in its priceless social role. Both events will be
taking full advantage of the beauty afforded by the promontories of the Citadel, with all of Gozo
and fairly distant Malta complementing the backdrop of the setting sun to the West.

Two simultaneous chamber music concerts will also

enrich the first night's programme with Jean-Marc Apap
on sax alto and Richard Galliano on piano accordion at
St George's Basilica, while up at the Citadel, the Victoria
Clarinet Quartet brings to life the intimate surroundings
of the Sentinella Hall. At the same time, the Citadel
bastions will provide a unique setting to the
Sbandieratori Ducato Caetani, flown in directly from Italy
to parade along the quaint streets and squares with their
remarkable flags, trumpets and drums.

From Friday to Sunday, the public can enjoy an Corkskrew

architectural lighting display that enhances the
characteristic settings of the Citadel and Victoria. A
particular highlight to the exhaustive programme of events is the prestigious exhibition of
drawings, from the National Collection, by Mattia Preti.

Other exhibitions include those by artists Victor Spiteri and George Scicluna, sketches of
paintings and works of art found in places of worship across the island, an exhibition about Madre
Margherita, two separate exhibitions tied to the celebration of the feasts of St George and Santa
Marija, a traditional cribs exhibition and another exhibition of processional statuettes related to the
Passion of Christ, an exhibition of old photographs depicting long-forgotten Gozo, a collective
exhibition of young local artists and a separate collective exhibition of Gozitan artists.

Saturday brings the culmination of the weekend's events, reaching a climax further in the night
hours. Morning wakes up to a parade by the San Gwann Scouts Band, complemented by a plant
and flower exhibition at the Villa Rundle Gardens, a plant and flower market at Castle Hill, a crafts
market at Republic Street, artists painting and working on site, a re-enactment of Grand Master
Wignacourt's entry to Victoria and the Citadel, another parade by the Sbandieratori Ducato
Caetani followed by a lunchtime concert of young local musicians at the Ministry for Gozo. All this,
while four different tours - from the Citadel and the cathedral, to shelters, the narrow streets and
architecture, and local crafts and gastronomy - take the inquisitive to explore the different sights
and sounds of the island's capital.

Football enthusiasts will have the opportunity to watch a live screening of the FA Cup Final
between Chelsea and Manchester United, followed immediately by the screening of the film Goal
2 - Living the Dream, at the Oratory Don Bosco. The audio-visual Gozo 360° will be showed
repeatedly at Citadel Cinema while Charlotte's Web follows the football frenzy at the Oratory Don
Bosco.

Young actors and singers will also be contributing their little bit of cultural stunt with a
performance at the Victoria Primary School, showing highlights from Disney's more favourite
musically animated cartoons. Theatre will also abound with Lacuna by contemporary theatre
group Dù, one-man L-Imfietah by Mario Micallef, and the ever popular Zoo Media and
Entertainment with Lejl bit-Torc ma' Zoo, held at the Sentinella Hall, Oratory Don Bosco and
Teatru Astra respectively.

Another much-awaited highlight of the weekend's programme is Tenori, a concert featuring the
UK's most successful three tenors, accompanied by Mro John Galea, at the Aurora Opera House.
Although of a relatively young age, tenors Alexander Grove, Mark Chaundy and James Edwards
will be tackling most notable tenor arias in the operatic repertoire with an ease that betrays their
age. The public will definitely be looking forward to a programme that includes Nessun dorma, La
donna è mobile, Che gelida manina, O sole mio, Caruso and other favourites.

Classical music will also abound during Saturday night's programme with an organ recital at St
Michael's Hall (St George's Basilica) and choral and other classical music recitals happening
almost simultaneously at churches and chapels in Victoria and the Citadel, including the Gozo
Cathedral and the Gozo Courts of Justice. St George's basilica will also provide guided tours of
"the golden basilica", while it opens the doors to the new parish centre for a special rooftop
viewing of the Citadel.

At different times of Saturday evening, street theatre will animate the already colourful streets and
alleys with a parade in pageantry costumes, a knights' entourage, and a narrow streets alive
initiative that sees the re-enactment of traditions and folklore inherent in Gozo's history, as well as
narrations and folk singing accompanied by traditional instruments.

All this while six different stages, scattered around the town, will entertain a wide spectrum of the
audience ranging from tiny tots at Sabina Square thanks to Curtain Raiser Theatre Troupe, to pop
music and village band lovers at St Francis Square and Republic Street respectively, to rock band
followers at Independence Square. A spectacle of dance followed by hours of deejay music raises
funds for the Arka and Oasi foundations at St Augustine Square, while intimate St George's
Square provides an ideal platform for the more tranquil chill out music. Participating bands and
artistes in the six venues include among others the Versatile Brass Ensemble, the Big Band
Brothers, the Gozo Youth Wind Band and Orchestra, Claire Baluci, Frenzy Mono, Corkskrew,
Klinsmann and band, and Etnika. All this runs until the early hours of the morning, with a short
break at the very strokes of midnight for a 10-minute fireworks spectacular display that will take
off from two parallel sites outside Victoria. The twin simultaneous spectacle can be viewed from
both the Citadel bastions and Republic Street.

All this gives way to Sunday morning and afternoon that see a much more tranquil programme
that slowly brings back Victoria and the Citadel to a more regular pace, repeating the calmer
elements of Saturday morning to close off this extensive marathon of culture and entertainment in
its wider sense.

Lejlet Lapsi Notte Gozitana also provides for extended shopping hours while food will not go
amiss with a take-away area specifically set in an area of Victoria, close to a separate restaurant
area where Victoria's bus terminus is being transformed into a typical Mediterranean square.

Parking is being reserved in designated areas around Victoria while two temporary bus termini
are being set up at the very lower and very upper end of Victoria, providing special transport for
the elderly and persons with special needs to the very heart of the activities.

Those travelling to Gozo for Saturday night are being encouraged to make use of public transport
arrangements that leave designated towns and villages in Malta for Cirkewwa and back according
to an established time-table that runs into the early hours of Sunday morning. Shuttle transport
services from Mgarr harbour and from almost all Gozitan villages to Victoria and back are being
organised to help alleviate the need for people to travel with their own car to the main town. Gozo
Channel Co. Ltd is also offering a reduced fare during specific hours on Friday and Saturday, with
the weekend expected to generate an interest that is abnormal for this time of year.

This first edition of Lejlet Lapsi Notte Gozitana brings with it an impressively exhaustive list of
events with the public having to choose where to go and what to do. There will be so many things
to see in a relatively short time span that one cannot but shortlist the more favourite attractions,
hoping to move fast from one venue to another to be able to get the best out of it all. We will
definitely be spoilt for choice in an already culturally active island, defying in the true sense of the
word, the geographical smallness of tiny Calypso's isle.

• More information on Lejlet Lapsi Notte Gozitana may be obtained by phone on 2155 9832 or
online at http://www.gozoculture.com.

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